Accused 'Bearded Bandit' bank robber ordered held on $300,000 bail

Taunton District Court Judge John Canavan III set bail at $300,000 during Thursday’s arraignment of 33-year-old Justin Lee Worley, who is believed to be the "Bearded Bandit."

Charles Winokoor

Taunton District Court Judge John Canavan III set bail at $300,000 during Thursday’s arraignment of 33-year-old Justin Lee Worley, who is believed to be the "Bearded Bandit."

Worley, last known address Motel 6 in Seekonk, is suspected of pulling off a total of nine bank and credit union robberies — eight of them in Rhode Island — since February, according to law enforcement.

Police say when they arrested Worley on Wednesday at the Route 6 motel, they confiscated a small quantity of crack cocaine, a handful of Oxycontin pain pills for which he had a prescription and a small knife, but no firearm.

Bank tellers have told police that the robber — who reportedly donned a bushy beard-and-mustache disguise during some of his robberies — stated to them that he had a gun.

Cops say they recovered a fake beard from the motel room where Worley, his alleged fiancée and their young daughter had been living.

Worley is charged with armed robbery, possession of a Class B drug and being a fugitive from justice without a warrant.

His court-appointed lawyer, Fall River attorney Kenneth Fredette, said that Worley is not a flight risk and asked that bail be set at $5,000.

“No one was ever hurt and he has multiple warrants,” Fredette said, noting that Worley has pending cases in six other municipalities.

Fredette claimed that Worley at no time demanded money or threatened anyone with a weapon.

“He’s at the very beginning of a road at this time that seems very lengthy. He has the incentive to post it ($5,000),” he said.

Fredette reasoned that if Worley posted bail he would essentially be “released to the next court.” He also pointed out his client admitted to police that he in fact robbed at least three banks.

Assistant District Attorney James McKenna asked that bail remain $500,000 — the same amount set the day of Worley’s arrest by Marc Santos, clerk magistrate of Taunton Superior Court.

McKenna said Worley is a flight risk, in part because of his drug dependency.

Fredette, however, said the small amount of crack confiscated is “not indicative of a drug problem.”

He added that Worley is “very concerned about his fiancée and child,” and claimed that his client is a U.S. Army vet who was deployed to Iraq seven times and was injured by an improvised explosive device (IED).

As for employment, he said Worley recently has worked in Warwick building fireplaces and had also done security work.

Fredette noted that his client is a native of Texas. But a court document identifies Worley’s hometown as Jerseyville, Ill.

Worley, who during his arraignment appeared uneasy, shifting foot to foot, is a suspect in the robbery of various bank branches in Seekonk, Warwick, Cranston, East Providence, North Providence, Barrington and Rumford — the latter of which was robbed the day before police tracked him down.

According to the Seekonk police report, Worley was arrested after an East Providence detective spotted Worley and his fiancée at the Seekonk motel.

Eyewitnesses had previously provided police with a description of two separate getaway vehicles and Worley’s tattoos.

More than one bank teller reported that the robber had a Band-Aid partially covering a tattoo on his right ring finger.

Police say the motel’s general and day managers confirmed that the couple and young girl had been living at the Motel 6 during the past few months.

Cops say when Worley, who was walking with his daughter, noticed them he immediately did an about-face.

While talking to him on the motel property, they say they grew nervous because of his military background and the possibility of a gun, when he began moving his hands behind his back.

Police, however, said he was cooperative. They also report finding a blackened, charred glass pipe with cocaine residue and a knife, both of which were in his pockets.